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This week, the major TV networks got all dressed up to court advertisers at their upfront presentations. They casually announced several show cancellations — “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior,” “Hellcats,” “$#*! My Dad Says,” and many,... Read the rest of this post

Unconventional advertising for 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' (To promote this week's opening of the adventure film, Disney rolls out an interactive window display at the 34th street Macy's, as well as purchased ad space on Twitter) (Adweek) (AdAge, reg.... Read the rest of this post

Today's Ypulse Youth Advisory post comes from Brazilian teen André Perez on the difference between American teen shows and those abroad. As always, you can communicate directly with any member of the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board by emailing them at... Read the rest of this post

As this week of teen-centric TV premieres comes to an end, Anastasia (Gen X) and I (Gen Y) decided to adopt the letter writing format once again to talk about the evolution of primetime soaps and teen sexuality. Here's what happened… Dear... Read the rest of this post

With all the excitement going on around here, I haven't updated you on my Netflix viewing status.  What's going on, you ask?  For starters, I finally scored the #1 ranking on the Dawson's Creek Trivia Challenge.  That's right, friends and neighbors, out of 26,378 players, I am #1.  Well, I was.  For about a day.  And then Chick with Scary Knowledge came back on and knocked me back to #2.  But hey, I was there.  So I printed out that Facebook page for my scrapbook and that was it.  No bells or whistles.  No big honkin prize.  Just another goal I can check off my list. 

I finished watching all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls and absolutely loved it.  The writing is incredible and Lorelai and Rory are the best mother/daughter combo ever.  I was kind of bummed when they dissed Mummenschanz and Garrison Keillor (each twice!) because those are both two of my fave things, but everything else rocked so I had to forgive them.  And I cried at Rory's graduations.  And a whole bunch of other times.  And that tent Luke made in the last ep?  Dude.  Now all I have to do is find most of Lorelai's clothes for my wardrobe and life will be complete.  I so did not want Gilmore Girls to be over.  But nothing gold can stay.

So now I've moved on to the next show on my Netflix queue that I never saw.  I've been hearing from everyone for years that I'd love it and I have to watch it.  My students would come in and just be like, "Mrs. Maguire, this show is totally you."  I'm almost done with the first season and I have to say, I had no idea it was so freaking good.  The best part?  I have two words for you.  Seth Cohen.



Does he not rule?  What an amazing character.  And Adam Brody is totally brill as Seth Cohen.  Apparently, The O.C. was only on for four seasons, which makes me a bit nervous.  Does it start to suck at some point?  I can't imagine how.  I guess this is a good example of living in the moment:  I'll enjoy the good days of The O.C. while they last.  And Chrismukkah.

Well, the writing was on the wall when the fourth season of my cheesy, yet strangely beloved teen soap The O.C. opened this September to pathetically low ratings. Fox has now cancelled my beloved guilty pleasure, with the finale set to air February 22. At least they're planning for it, and they're not just yanking it with narrative threads all a-dangle. In memoriam (since I totally missed eulogizing James Brown & Gerald Ford while I was on vacation with my family), a handful of good things The O.C. introduced to the world during its tenure on the airwaves:

• Nerd cool: let's face it, protagonist Seth Cohen (as played by the adorable Adam Brody) has brought sexy (okay, maybe a tepid "appealing" would be more accurate) back to nerdiness. A master stroke for skinny Death Cab-loving boys -- and the girls who never thought they'd love them -- everywhere.
• Mix CDs: these are nothing new, but the six official mix CDs that make up this show's soundtrack kick major sonic booty. Featuring artists like the aforementioned Death Cab, Sufjan Stevens, Mates of State, and Imogen Heap, they are gateway listening to indie rock nirvana and are therefore must-haves for my library's collection, and quite possibly for yours.
• Indie Rock Rocks: Well, duh. A major part of the show's appeal, for me, at least, was the fact that they played good music in every episode. And not just any good music -- good music on little labels like Kill Rock Stars, SubPop, and Sympathy For The Record Industry. It's a big deal for a major TV network to showcase long tail music. Let's give Fox some credit.
• Showcasing Michael Chabon: I didn't include this in my five things, but Michael Chabon is one of my favorite authors. Even when he is so (justifiably) in love with his own prose stylings that he can't, you know, move the darn story forward, I forgive him and love him. Hi, Michael! Wonder Boys is another of my all-time favorite books; I think I might like it even more than Kavalier & Clay, which fellow O.C. viewers will recognize as a core element in the Seth Cohen Starter Pack, the gift Seth bestows upon his two would-be ladyloves in the first Chrismukkah episode. Which brings me to...
• Chrismukkah! The all-purpose Winter Holiday for interfaith families (Seth's mother, Kirsten, is an ur-shiksa, a size 2 Nordic Goddess, married to a Nice Jewish Boy from the Bronx, Sandy) has enjoyed quite a boost in notoriety and popularity since The O.C.'s first season. As half of an interfaith couple myself, Chrismukkah really resonates with me, though my husband prefers his own coinage, Chanumas.

So long, O.C.! We hardly knew ye!